Cobwebs and Heartbeats
by blindmansun
Summary: The Doctor likes listening to heartbeats.


"Doctor, what are we even looking for?" Fitz said in exasperation after overturning the fiftieth dusty box that afternoon. They were in some dismal back corner of the TARDIS, a place she seemed to have designated as a storehouse-slash-junk depository. The Doctor had been struck with the sudden need to find…something- Fitz hadn't really understood the technical-sounded gobbledygook the Doctor rattled off as he'd dragged Fitz down the hallway.

The Doctor paused, elbows buried in a cardboard box that appeared to be full of porcelain unicorn figurines. "Um. Well. You see…I, um, I forgot," he confessed, a bit embarrassed. Fitz blinked.

"Are you serious? You're telling me we've been looking through all this junk for hours for nothing?"

"It's not junk," the Doctor said, pouting. "I'm sure all of this is important, even if I don't remember why." Fitz rolled his eyes.

"Keep trying to convince yourself of that, Doc."

"Besides," the Doctor added, "I've found this entire experience to be quite enjoyable." Fitz had to admit he had a point; every box had contained some new and exciting object that they'd had fun playing with.

"I suppose…" He said, grudgingly. The Doctor smiled brightly before returning his attention to the box. He pulled out a particularly elegant statue and studied it.

"I must confess I have no idea why I appear to own so many unicorn figurines." Fitz snorted.

"No kidding. This is, what, the third box we've found?"

"I believe so." The Doctor glanced at him. "You have a cobweb in your hair," he remarked. Fitz, startled, reached up and swatted at his head in an attempt to dislodge it. "No-no, stop, you're making it worse," the Doctor protested. "Let me get it." He took a step closer and Fitz obligingly ducked his head – the Doctor was quite a bit shorter than him, after all.

"Did you get it?" He said after a bit, because the Doctor had been running his fingers through his hair for longer than seemed strictly necessary. Fitz didn't exactly mind, per se, but his neck was starting to crick.

"Yes." The Doctor shook his hand, flinging the sticky strands to the floor.

"Thanks. So if you've forgotten what it was we're supposed to be looking for, why are we still here?"

"I wanted to see what else the TARDIS had stored back here," he explained, opening up another box. "I still haven't fully explored her yet."

"Hmm." Fitz looked over the Doctor's shoulder into the box. "What's in there? It better not be bats again, that almost gave me a heart attack."

"They were perfectly harmless, Fitz," the Doctor said sternly, pulling various bric-a-brac out of the box.

"Sure they were," Fitz said dryly. "I've never particularly liked bats, especially not after that business on Eskon-" He cut himself short. "Sorry, you don't remember…"

The Doctor didn't seem to – or was, at least, pretending not to – have heard, instead choosing to brandish the stethoscope he'd found. "Look!" He exclaimed delightedly, clicking the earpieces together. Fitz looked, rather less enthused.

"It's just a stethoscope. What's the big deal?"

"I like stethoscopes," the Doctor said sulkily, putting the earpieces in. "Hold still."

Fitz realized that he probably should not have obeyed that last order, but by the time his brain had processed that thought the Doctor had already stuck his hand up his shirt. "Jesus, that's cold!" Fitz yelped, recoiling. The Doctor wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him back, holding him tight.

Fitz suddenly felt rather hot and was glad the Doctor had his eyes closed, because he was fairly sure his face was bright red. He stood frozen, heart beating stupidly fast – oh, God, the Doctor could hear it, calm down – and tried not to think about how absolutely damn close the Doctor was. "W-why do you like them so much, anyway?" He finally stammered out. The Doctor opened his eyes and smiled up at him, seemingly unaware of his discomfort.

"I like listening to heartbeats," he said, slipping off the stethoscope and dropping it on the floor, leaving his hand pressed flat against Fitz's chest. "I like yours especially."

Fitz didn't think it was humanly possibly to blush any harder than he already was, but there you were. He flailed about mentally for a bit before choking out a 'thank you?' that sounded alarmingly squeaky. The Doctor just smiled again and leaned in a bit closer.

Anji chose that moment to burst into the room and Fitz didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. He jerked the Doctor's hand away and hastily pulled his shirt down, praying fervently that he didn't look too flustered.

"There you are!" She exclaimed crossly. "I've been looking for you for ages. I got out of the bath and you two were gone!"

"Sorry, Anj," Fitz said as casually as he could. He had the awful suspicion that he was still quite red. "The Doctor wanted some help finding something." Anji raised an eyebrow and cast a look at the stethoscope on the floor, then back at him.

"Did you find it?" She asked the Doctor skeptically. He shook his head.

"No. But the day wasn't a total loss." He sounded entirely too happy. Anji looked at him again and Fitz wondered it would appropriate to make a break for his room.

"Oh, really?"

"Not at all." The Doctor's arm shot out at the exact same moment Fitz decided to run for it and he stumbled, half-falling against the Doctor. He struggled for a bit in the Doctor's iron grip, blushing under Anji's amused gaze, before giving up and letting the Doctor snuggle against him. "Not at all."


End file.
